AddressCommencing Term Three 2024 - Ideally, the successful applicant for the Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School, High Wycombe principalship will be available to take up the position at the beginning of Term Three 2024. However, this timing may be negotiable depending on the successful applicant’s current position and circumstances.
School Profile
Located in High Wycombe, Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School is a co-educational Catholic Primary School of approximately 240 students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year Six. The school was established in 1991 as the Primary School for St Francis of Assisi Parish in Maida Vale. The school enjoys a fruitful relationship with the parish and work together to nurture the faith experiences for all students, including a complete Parish based Sacramental Program.
As a small school the staff understand the unique needs of every student and can work together to ensure that each student has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Pastoral care is important to the staff at Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School. Staff are genuinely concerned for the development of each student and our high staff ratios provide us with an opportunity to cater for the diverse needs of students in a variety of situations.
Matthew Gibney is proud to be a child safe school. The school environment is child centered and a place of safety for every student. Mutual respect and trust are seen as being the key to developing a strong, affirming school culture where student wellbeing, individual achievement, resilience and self-esteem are strongly promoted.
The school offers a range of extra-curricular activities which include an individual music tuition program offering piano and guitar lessons, with a school choir for Year Three students. Students have opportunities to participate in service programs such as the Mini Vinnies.
The school provides a one-to-one iPad program for all students commencing in Year 4, with shared iPads available for all other year levels.
A well-developed program of literacy and numeracy skills has been developed and is continually evaluated to gauge its effectiveness. A comprehensive learning support program is utilised supported by Reading Recovery and MacqLit. Sport and the Performing Arts add value to the teaching and learning programs. Students participate in a variety of sport programs that include in house and inter school carnivals and competitions. Students are immersed in the Performing Arts with participation in school musicals, drama productions and a dance program and concert. The school offers a specialised Science program in a dedicated laboratory for students from pre-primary to Year Six. This stimulating and engaging program models best practice of contemporary teaching and learning.
Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School enjoys the contribution of parents with an active and supportive Parents and Friends Association. In recognising the value of parents as the first educators of their children, the school encourages parents to work in partnership with the staff and be involved as much as possible. In partnership with families Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School is dedicated to developing confident, creative, accomplished learners who are committed to their faith and live in truth to the values of Christ.
A School Council assists with the governance of the school.
In addition to the Duties and Responsibilities of Principals, the community is seeking a principal who:
- authentically leads the Catholic Identity of the school community through a personal commitment to faith, honouring the unique charism of Matthew Gibney Catholic Primary School
- fosters positive partnerships with St. Francis of Assisi Parish and welcomes the regular presence of the priests within the school as an integral part of the community
- is visible and accessible for all members in the school community, developing and maintaining positive relationships with students, staff and families, with a strong emphasis on supporting student and staff wellbeing
- has a strong presence with excellent communication and interpersonal skills to inspire a thriving school environment
- embeds a culture of high expectation of student learning and builds expert teacher practice which is evidence-based, high impact and inclusive, maximising opportunities for all students who are recognised as having the ability to learn and reach their God-given potential
- creates a culture that ensures all staff receive regular and effective feedback on performance and are supported in professional growth and development leading to improvement in practice
- demonstrates the capacity to form strategic partnerships with the broader community, enriching the school's access to varied networks and creating additional opportunities for students
- is a future focused leader with the capacity for future capital development
To be considered for the role of Principal you must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Be a practising Catholic and experienced educator who is committed to the objectives and ethos of Catholic Education.
- Hold Accreditation for Leadership of a Catholic School Community or its equivalent.
- A minimum four-year tertiary qualification although it would be advantageous to demonstrate significant progress towards a masters degree or higher.
- Current Teachers Registration for Western Australia (TRBWA)
- A current WA Working With Children Check (WA WWCC)
To apply for the role:
Applicant’s will need to produce an application which includes a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, professional references and a leadership SAO. All applications are received through the website which will require you to create or log-in to your personal profile.
Curriculum Vitae
- Employment history including specific dates for leadership positions
- Professional qualifications
- Accreditation status, attainment date and number
- TRBWA and WA WWCC numbers and expiry dates
References
Contact information for three(3) professional referees:
- a person with whom you are currently working
- a person with whom you have worked in the past two to five years - a current employer or superior
Send a copy of the Referee Report Template (below) to each of your 3 professional referees and ask them to return the report to ***************@cewa.edu.au by the closing date.- Contact information (preferably mobile phone number) of your parish priest for the purpose of him being contacted for a verbal reference.
Cover Letter
- Write a Cover Letter succinctly addressing the school context as advised through the School Criteria listed in the advertisement. This should be a maximum of three (3) pages.
- All letters should be addressed to Mr Wayne Bull, Executive Director.
Leadership SAO
- Situation: What circumstances prompted the need for you to initiate or implement an improvement strategy?
Action: What specific actions did you take and/or lead?
Outcome: What were the outcomes of your actions? What did you learn?
- Using the SAO model please articulate your philosophy and provide examples of two initiatives you have been involved in at leadership level in each of the pillars: - Catholic Identity - Education - Community - Stewardship
- Applicants are asked to limit their SAO responses to two (2) pages per pillar.
Links to the documents for your application:
Duties and Responsibilities of the Principal
Referees Report Template 2024
Provision for Principal Matthew Gibney
Timeline Matthew Gibney
To Apply please click on the APPLY NOW button.
All applications should reach The Executive Director of Catholic Education, Catholic Education Office of WA via the Apply now button no later than 2pm on Friday 5 April 2024. For any queries please contact:
Catholic Education Western Australia encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with a disability, people of all ages and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. To be eligible to apply for this role you must be legally permitted to work in Australia.
Applicants must be fully supportive of the objectives and ethos of Catholic education.
